


Questions That Are Easy To ‘Pop’

by STARSdidathing



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Affection, Caring, Courtship, Cute, Cutesy, Dancing, Declarations Of Love, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Falling In Love, Feel-good, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Good Loki, Happy, Happy Ending, Hugs, Humor, Kissing, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Love, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Marriage Proposal, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Thor: The Dark World, Pre-Slash, Proposals, Public Display of Affection, Romance, Schmoop, Snarky Tony Stark, Sweet, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000, Worry, space travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-12 18:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7944364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Loki and Tony proposed to each other without meaning it. And the one time that they did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Questions That Are Easy To ‘Pop’

**Author's Note:**

> This story, omgggg. The idea had been in my drafts for a while and then I wrote a little of it a few days ago (and it got a bit bigger than I intended). I put it on my "list of things to finish today" and _this fucker **grew**_. So yes, ahem, bigger than I had expected, but I don't care. I adore it and I hope you do too! 
> 
> (Also, what the hell? When did I end up with 37 stories? In _less than a year_. Freakin' hell. I'm not sure if that is even a good thing, haha. ~~Kidding, I fucking love these boys. Of course it's good. ♥~~ )

**1.**

The first time it happened, Tony didn’t actually anticipate it would be a ‘ _first time_ ’.

Loki was a mischievous son of a bitch and a right pain in the ass to fight. He was bloody and vicious minded and if the Avengers stood between him and his goal, they were lucky to get out of the battle as anything other than _flattened_.

His ruthless, intelligent and lethal nature made him a hell of a fighter and it was _never_ a good combination when that kind of person equalled someone you were fighting _against_. Loki also had magic on his side, which only made it worse. The amount of times Tony had needed to send a suit off to be cremated after Loki had visited would have made a lesser man weep.

He’d actually started changing the descriptor of each destroyed Mark into that of a Norse Rune when Loki totalled it. It seemed fitting.

But, that wasn’t the point. The _point_ was that the _first time_ it had happened; they were actually, oddly, on the same side.

Or, rather, Loki was fighting who Tony was fighting and all three of them were after the magical doohickie that could, you know, end the universe. Considering Tony had some pretty good evidence that Loki liked to live, he was hoping that if Loki _did_ get it that he wouldn’t start Ragnarok. The myths were wrong about a lot of things, right? ...He could hope?

One way or another, they’d all been fighting each other and had been scrambling for the device. Loki and Tony had been just quick enough to get to the thing at the same time. They had _not_ been quick enough to stop it being activated.

Loki had killed the _idiot_ who had turned the device on, but they’d both been caught on the inside of some mystical bubble of death. It meant that everyone else was out of reach and out of luck if they couldn’t _stop it_. Loki had bent down in front of the item and Tony had come and joined him.

“If you can turn that thing off,” Tony had told him, his heart racing with horror and fear, “I’ll swear fucking fealty to you.”

Loki’s mouth hadn’t even twitched, his eyes concentrated on the device as his magic danced over it. He still bantered back; Loki could _always_ be counted on for good banter. “You would propose to me so easily, Stark?”

“I’ll fucking kneel for you, and I’ll damn well marry your arrogant ass if you keep the universe from crumpling on us.” He came out of the Iron Man suit and crouched beside him. “Do you need me to do anything?”

Loki had flicked his eyes to Tony and answered, “Yes.”

They’d spent thirty minutes in that bubble, racing against the clock as Tony assisted in any way he could and usually by carving runes that Loki would feed his magic into one after another. Tony needed the suit to project the images on the floor so he could scratch them in, but it had worked, _they_ had worked and the device had switched off with a hiss and a spluttering noise.

The moment had been tense as they’d waited, but when it sunk in that they’d _saved the universe_ , they'd both grinned at each other, wide, carefree and _honest_.

It sucked that the Avengers had soon broken the moment, and that second of camaraderie, of _good_ in Loki had vanished.

“Destroy it,” he had requested firmly before disappearing in a flash of magic. He’d also left behind a piece of parchment with instructions that Tony had followed to the letter.

SHIELD had tried to argue with him, but Tony thought _saving the fucking cosmos_ was a good point in his favour. That, and Odin checking over and agreeing to the instructions had finally let Tony and Bruce (with a hovering legion of Aesir soldiers behind them) break it into a thousand irreparable pieces that were then crumbled into dust.

The machine was never coming back and Tony had breathed easier when the task was finished.

He’d poured himself a nice long drink, hesitated and then poured a second. He’d left it out on the balcony on a table and toasted the sky.

The alarms didn’t go off and nobody broke in, but Tony found the glass empty the next morning and the cameras temporarily disrupted. Tony had grinned and felt pretty damn pleased.

Loki might still have been a right bastard and nowhere near an ally, but it was nice knowing that the powerhouse of a Trickster didn’t want the universe blown up. Tony had few comforts in life with villains popping up around every damn corner, so he took solace whenever and wherever he could.

He also, without meaning to, complete forgot the words and the promises he’d given to Loki at the device.

It was the heat of the moment. Who paid attention to words blurted out then?

* * *

**2.**

It was four months later that Tony was reminded of the phrases that he’d spouted so senselessly.

While they weren’t exactly damning words, definitely not legally binding ones. He still found himself mighty happy he’d said them.

“I’m afraid you cannot,” Loki was firmly telling the aliens (and they were very definitely aliens, not your Aesir lookalike bullshit. These things looked like humans who had mated with lizards. And birds.) “The laws of your culture forbid it.”

Tony hadn’t exactly trusted Loki since their brief moment of teamwork, but he had grown a little more willing to follow his lead in situations where he was out of his depth.

Without his suit, on a spaceship, his hands bound in front of him and _prisoner_ to a race that couldn’t speak English - Tony was pretty keen on gluing himself to Loki’s side.

Loki didn’t seem to be complaining. He had told him, ‘ _stay close to me, take my arm and do **not** let go_ ’. So Tony had done just that. He was holding onto the crook of Loki’s arm as if he was being escorted into a ballroom rather than a control room full of tittering creatures.

Loki had paused to wait for them to speak before he continued, “Anthony Stark has been betrothed to me for four months.” 

It took everything in Tony not to startle and whip his head around to stare at Loki, but the other had informed him earlier, ‘ _you have a shred of sense, mortal, so accept everything I say if you want to make it out of this alive_ ’ Loki’s eyes had narrowed ‘ _or free of impregnation_ ’.

He had let out an extremely manly and not at all hysterical request for clarification and Loki had explained that the race was, in essence, a society that lived to pass on their seed before their lifecycle was up. They lived short lives and each ship was a hive going back thousands of generations.

They would find any and all creatures and mate with them, either carrying the children themselves or giving that job to their subjects. Most survived the encounter with little more than mental scarring - and, _no fucking wonder there_ \- but some, unfortunately, did not. ‘ _Mortals_ ’, Loki had explained, ‘ _are more likely to perish during or after the procedure than other, sturdier races_ ’.

When Loki had said he’d had a plan to avoid that happening to either of them, Tony had been one hundred and fifty percent _on fucking board_ with that. When Loki had asked, _do you accept?_ he’d gone, _hell yes, I do_. He hadn’t realised exactly what that had meant for his romantic status at the time.

Because it turned out that the creatures had three rules; they wouldn’t touch virgins, they wouldn’t touch the already pregnant _and_ they wouldn’t touch those already committed to another.

Loki and Tony both struck out on the first two but thanks to Tony’s complete _lack_ of brain to mouth filter, Loki had legitimate grounds to claim the third one. 

Of course, Loki hadn’t been _that_ honest with him. He’d simply told Tony that they could attempt to use the laws of the lizard’s race to ' _avoid the ritual due to a loophole_ ' that they could ' _possibly fit through_ '.

So hearing that he was suddenly engaged to the Trickster God had taken some serious acting to keep his face and body from reacting. Non-consensual alien sex was a fabulous motivator though. He even leant more against Loki and gave the best impression of a terrified spouse as he could. It wasn’t all that hard.

There was some angry chattering between the creatures but Tony had no idea if it was the kind that was for their side or not. Loki was listening carefully, his eyes darting between them while Tony was left to hope that if the plan _didn’t_ work, that someone was coming to save their asses. (Literally, _fuck_.)

They had to know he was missing, right?

Tony had been on Asgard, had actually been _invited_ due to his skills at dismantling the doomsday device. Thor had, of course, decided he needed a proper tour of the realms and had taken him and his Aesir friends to another planet.

It was a bit of a blur after that, especially when Sif spotted Loki ‘up to no good’ and had left Tony at the market stall arguing with thin air about how ‘ _that’s not the real him!_ ’.

Loki had popped up behind him, impressed at his ability to notice the difference. They’d sniped, they’d bantered and Loki had helped him get a good sale on a cool looking knife. When Thor was on his way back, Tony had waved him off with a distracted air and a lack of interest in getting Loki captured.

Fifteen minutes later there was an alien lizard invasion and somehow Tony was in a cell across from Loki and being let in on a master plan to save them from being mounted.

He’d been involved in worse ideas.

Loki had still needed to argue their point for a further ten minutes, but he wasn’t called a liar and a wordsmith for nothing. They were eventually dropped back on a neighbouring moon, unmolested and free of bindings. They’d kept their arms linked for the show, but had thankfully not been required to be any more demonstrative.

“There were other people on that ship.”

“Yes, and a couple looked rather pleased to be back.”

Tony had screwed up his face. “Please don’t tell me-”

Loki’s eyebrows had risen. “You are meant to be man of avid sexual practices on your world. Surely this does not surprise you?”

“Okay, one; I don’t do non-consensual, _ever_ and I don’t do egg laying or birth. I can’t even handle a girlfriend having a kid let alone me doing it personally.” He shuddered and Loki just looked amused. “Also, second;” and his eyebrows had risen, “when did _you_ take the time to read up on my sex-life?”

Loki snorted. “Do not feel flattered, Stark. Your world highly popularises your exploits. It’s not difficult to discover.”

Well, Loki had him there.

“But, seriously, the people on that ship-”

“Will be rescued by the Aesir long before they are forced to participate. Truly, Stark, do you believe Thor would allow you to come to such harm on his watch? Or _Odin_ for that matter?”

He was smirking with far too much amusement. 

“Okay, then why the hell did we put on the engaged and happy routine?”

Shrugging, Loki untangled their arms and took a step back. “I have no interest in being on a ship invaded by Asgard when my magic is bound.”

Tony clicked and he couldn’t stop his rueful smile. “I was your escape ticket.” It wasn’t hard to make the next logical leap. “You knew they were arriving on the planet. You talked to me on purpose.”

Loki looked slightly surprised but also rather pleased. “Mortality, Mr Stark, is a waste for you.”

“Hah!” He laughed. “Was that a _compliment?_ ”

The Mage didn’t say anything further, he just smirked and disappeared, leaving Tony to find a nice rock to sit on as he shouted for Heimdall to come get him and take him back to Asgard.

Thor was ridiculously apologetic over what had happened, Odin was pissed off Loki had escaped, and Tony was just too damn entertained by the whole thing.

He was also looking forward to telling the story when he was back home - with a few embellishments and missing facts, of course.

* * *

**3.**

Ironically enough, while their little engagement hadn’t overly altered the way they interacted, Tony did have a tendency to use more blatantly affectionate nicknames in the months that followed. ‘ _Prancer_ ’ became ‘ _Pumpkin_ ’ and ‘ _Harry Potter_ ’ became ‘ _my little bewitcher_ ’. He’d gotten hit pretty hard in the chest for that one, actually.

Which meant that he didn’t let up in the slightest.

Sometimes they ended up standing around after the battle, continuing to mince words and ruffle each other’s feathers. Loki would always disappear when someone came up and interrupted them though.

Or well, he did - at first.

He’d also carried Tony’s injured ass back over to the Avengers and threw him at them once, making sure he would be taken care of before he went back into the fight. He became so commonly seen bantering with Tony on the battlefield that whenever one of the others came to collect him, they would invite Loki along to the victory meal too.

Loki had sneered, declined and left for the first few times. (Fourteen, to be exact.)

But eventually he tentatively and very suspiciously accepted.

He didn’t become a part of the team - he very studiously avoided being anything of the kind - but when they ended up in the same place and on a side that wasn’t directly opposite each other, Loki would often come back to wherever the Avengers had their base camp and enjoy the celebratory meal and relaxation.

He would usually end up talking with Tony the entire time as Loki would rarely have anything to do with the other Avengers, but no one seemed particularly bothered. He was polite enough when spoken to and could occasionally be encouraged into discussion or inspired to tell a story of one of his many travels in the universe.

He was almost an ally to the team, and it was nice to have a chance to talk to him without doom and gloom and life-threatening actions hanging over their heads. Hell, Tony would _almost_ consider them friends.

Of course, Clint was always the troublemaker who loved to ruin a good thing.

“So, it’s been like what, almost twelve months, right?” He’d asked while twirling his chopsticks. “Don’t most engagements at least have a date set by then?”

Tony had frozen with a dumpling halfway to his lips while Loki had stilled and was watching Clint curiously. The rest of the room was silent with anticipation over what would happen next, their eyes flicking between the three of them.

“Only if one is from an incredibly inept race, I suppose,” Loki answered, his words sounding insulting but spoken in a tone that was fairly bland and uninterested. He was still giving most of his attention to his dinner. “The Aesir take great pride in ceremony; their binding rituals are far more laborious.”

Tony had sniggered under his breath and remarked a ' _labour of love_ ’, making Loki shoot him a brief, amused look. Bruce however had perked up, innately curious, but instead of giving his attention to Thor, he kept it directed on Loki. “How different is it on Asgard?”

Loki noticed this and gave a one-shouldered shrug. “We expect more than a simple answer to assume betrothal. Anthony and I have merely accepted the courtship of each other, nothing more.”

“It’s nice, these Aesir rituals,” Tony remarked, making it up as he went, encouraged by the spark of wicked mischief that formed in Loki’s eyes and the playful curl to his smile. “Means nothing more than loose intent, if I wasn’t the monogamous type, I’d be in relationship heaven.”

“And you’ll find that’s _exactly_ what women are fond of doing on Asgard; collecting multiple partners and pitting them against each other.” He smirked. “Many a time I have watched men battle for the honour of a maiden’s hand, to the death in most cases.”

He sounded so unconcerned by the picture he was painting, so truthful in his expressions that even Natasha seemed to be puzzling out whether he was lying or not. Thor was of no help, he had his arms crossed and was smirking without giving anything away.

Tony filed the subject away for further research when Loki was alone with him and more likely to be _genuinely_ honest. The rest of the Avengers seemed to be taking in and absorbing the information, but Clint was the one who was done assimilating first. “Does that make Tony the girl?”

He wanted to throw something at Clint’s annoying smirk, but he didn’t, Tony just shook his head with deep disappointment. “Assigning gender roles, Barton? I think you need another SHIELD issued PC class to teach you some manners.” He pointed his chopsticks at Rogers. “You’re the Captain, Captain. I’m offended. Make him take it twice.”

Steve just rolled his eyes, well aware he wasn’t legitimately bothered and that Clint wasn’t _that_ kind of a dick. Loki however seemed to, oddly enough, come to Tony’s defence. In a really backhanded way, of course. “An Asgardian male must be sure to prove his worth in a hundred different tests to court a mere woman. To marry a mortal man is far less difficult and a _drastically_ different and enjoyable task. “

“Aye,” Thor spoke up for the first time. “A man of great strength, intelligence and bravery is Anthony. He would have little to prove to be considered a suitable match for Loki. The Allfather himself could not-”

“He is _not_ my father, Thor,” Loki snapped, his eyes and tone filled with ice and crackling over the subject in a way that made everyone tense. “I need no permission from _him_ to take someone’s hand.”

Tony could see a full blown argument happening and Loki leaving in a huff, so he did the only thing he could think of to blow the mood to smithereens. He reached out and grabbed Loki’s hand and linked their fingers. Loki’s head whipped to look at him with surprise. Tony just grinned cheerfully. He also lifted and waved their hands, drawing everyone’s attention. “Hand taken. Allfather not needed. Now, come on, you were telling us what else we needed to make it official.”

He fluttered his eyelashes at Loki just for added effect and had the pleasure of watching shock and lingering fury get washed out by humour. A part of Tony still couldn’t believe he’d managed to keep his hand attached to his body. A quick glance at the Avengers said the feeling was very definitely mutual.

Tony supposed even fake fiancés got some lenience when it came to touching Loki.

“Food is common,” Loki eventually answered, turning away from Tony as if nothing had happened. He did remove Tony’s hold though, if only to better move back to his meal. Tony ignored the small pang of unhappiness he felt and instead did the same. “Each interracial relation is different, but the proving of the hunter’s skill as a provider is always necessary. The sharing of food is especially important in mortal courtship.”

Thor and Loki shared a strange, weighted gaze at that, but neither said anything further. Loki went back to eating and seemed content to drop the subject.

Too bad nobody was having it.

“So what food have _you_ guys exchanged?” Clint questioned.

“Did you both provide it, since you’re both considered warriors?” wondered Steve.

“Tony would have done it elaborately,” Natasha guessed with a smile.

“If this somehow leads into another tale about those lizards...” Rhodey groaned and caused everyone to laugh.

Loki and Tony didn’t actually have to say anything further as the rest of the group took the suggestions and ran off with them, continually trying to outdo each other. Thor even joined in, correcting and laying the ground work for more _accurate_ gestures of affection.

Everyone knew their ‘courtship’ wasn’t real, but no one was admitting that it wasn’t. They were having fun, and after a life or death battle, Tony liked to see them smiling. So he left them to it, tuning out their discussions as he angled himself closer to Loki. 

A small smile was playing at the Mage’s mouth, and while his attention was on his bowl and his food, Tony knew he was listening to and enjoying their commentary. He was being entertained by their involvement in the running joke and Tony liked seeing Loki happy like that.

Tony felt his own grin form and he lightly nudged the other to get his attention. Loki glanced over at him. “Yes?”

“So what would we exchange? We’re up to that point now, right?” Tony picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks. “Will this do?”

Loki snorted. “Leftovers? You intend to give me your _leftovers_ , Stark?”

“Excuse me, I am _gallant_ , I’m sharing part of my hard fought meal, my _sustenance_ and _energy_ in a gesture of affection. How dare you doubt my unbridled love for your pretentious, stuck-up self.”

Loki laughed, it was a small series of amused chuckles, but by the end he used his chopsticks (that he was annoyingly deft at) to let some chicken, vegetable and noodles drop into Tony’s bowl.

Tony actually stared at the food for a long moment, genuinely shocked Loki had done it. When he looked back up, Loki was still deeply amused. “My offering to you, _gallant mortal_ ; the food of a God.”

Unable to stop it, Tony snorted at the phrasing. It was pompous and dramatic and so utterly full of sarcastic bullshit to make it entirely _Loki_. Tony couldn’t have stopped the wave of fondness that overcame him if he tried.

They were holding each other’s gaze, Loki’s emeralds so light-hearted and _carefree_ and Tony didn’t want to wreak that. So he responded in kind, dropping his last dumpling into Loki’s bowl and asking, “So what the hell does dumplings and noodles mean for our relationship?”

“Well, I could suggest that concealment is in our nature and that we are not, as you mortals put it ‘straight’?”

He paused with an eyebrow raised when Tony just laughed. He wasn’t the only one either, as The Avengers were listening in and found it just as entertaining.

Loki seemed bolstered by the attention and good humour, but he still kept his eyes on Tony. “But I suppose, I should suggest instead, that it means we will be equal in our partnership.” The words made any sort of joke fade from Tony’s mind as he stared at Loki, feeling his skin flush slightly under that piercing gaze. “We will share the spoils of our battles, Anthony, and we will rejoice in our triumphs - _together_.”

Swallowing a few times, Tony tried to wrap his mind around the words, tried to find the loophole, the trick, the moment that said he was _kidding_. But Loki was holding him fast; intent and _serious_ and Tony felt his heart _thump_ against his chest. It took all he had to offer a weak smile and to quip, “What do you know? Prancer can be downright _romantic_ when he wants to be.”

“I can also be downright _horrific_ , if you continue with those infernal names,” Loki threatened loudly, but with an intent no one in the room bought for a moment.

It also punctured the emotions in the air and drew everyone away from talk of weddings and partnerships. A new conversation picked up and Tony dropped his attention back to his meal, shifting Loki’s offering with absent motions.

He flicked his eyes to Loki once before darting down to his bowl, seeing the dumpling still sitting there.

Loki must have been aware of his gaze, as while Tony was staring, his chopstick pierced it. Tony flicked his eyes up to find Loki with his eyebrows raised before he popped it into his mouth. It was a dare and a challenge and a promise that nothing had changed.

Tony couldn’t satisfactorily explain why that filled him with as much disappointment as it did relief. He still took the noodles and the rest and ate it in turn; sharing the food from each other’s plates and ignoring the intimacy of the action.

It was just a bit of mischief, after all. Everyone knew it wasn’t another layer to their weird marriage proposals. It was just a joke.

Tony’s fluttering heart and twisting stomach was just a case of indigestion caused by Loki’s taste in food. Nothing more, nothing less.

_Fucking hell, he’s **Loki** for Christ’s sake._

Tony didn’t look at him again for the rest of the meal, and when he left shortly after, Tony couldn’t say he was surprised. 

And as for disappointed? 

Well, if that was the case, it’s not like Tony would be saying that to anyone, would he?

* * *

**4.**

The next few months passed oddly.

It wasn’t that things _changed_ between them exactly, because they didn’t - Tony was studiously keeping that from happening. The proposal, the _courtship_ the whole thing was just a running joke. The fact that he might... sort of... kind of be interested in Loki was neither here nor there. He pretended it _didn’t exist_ and things were going okay.

Loki was actually spending more time around the tower. He popped in and spoke pleasantly with anyone he met on his way to finding Tony. (Which was absolutely no one. Well, unless they happened to be in the same room as Tony at the time of Loki’s appearance. He’d accused Loki of having a magical tracker on him but Loki had just smiled and refuted _nothing_.)

They hung out; it was nice, they were _friends_.

Clint still made jokes about their romance and was usually joined by a chorus of Avengers but Tony and Loki just laughed along and knew it was nothing serious.

Or, well, Tony had been certain that it wasn’t. 

Loki was aloof and while mildly fond of him, Tony had never thought it was in a physical or _romantic_ sense. So he’d just been enjoying Loki’s strange new penchant for hanging around outside fights. He hadn’t wanted to ruin it.

They shared time in the labs, they had private meals in the penthouse and he’d even taken Loki out a few times. It wasn’t any different to the way he treated his friends. Granted, he didn’t look at the way his friends eyes crinkled when they laughed and the way their throat curved and would be _perfect_ to kiss until it went red with a mark.

Tony knew he was in trouble. It didn’t mean he had to let it fuck up his friendship with Loki.

He’d been adamant on his decision, determined to keep his growing interest in the Trickster under wraps - right up until Loki had surprised him. 

There had been another remark about their romance, another tease that Tony had played along with and dismissed easily. He hadn’t noticed at the time that Loki had been quiet and pensive.

Tony had been in the penthouse later that night, working on some SI designs with only some low lamps and the city lights to illuminate the room. It was late and most of the tower was sleeping. He’d been sipping slowly on a glass of scotch and fiddling more than anything, wondering if he should try to sleep or head down to the labs for something more consuming.

He had thought Loki had left, headed off to some corner of the universe until he was next inclined to visit or they met in the middle of a fight again.

Turned out though, he was still on Earth - if the way he materialised in front of Tony and almost made him spill his drink was any indication.

“ _Fuck_ , Loki.”

The Demi-God ignored his exclamation and stepped closer until he could sit on the coffee table in front of Tony, their legs actually touching they were so close. Loki even leant forward, his hands clasped between his legs as he stared at Tony intensely.

“Um,” Tony murmured, “yes?”

“I am _tired_ of your Avengers and they’re increasing enjoyment at commenting on our situation,” Loki ground out, looking furious and oddly... uncomfortable?

It made Tony’s heart stutter, trip and otherwise smash painfully into the ground. _Oh._

“ _Oh_ ,” he echoed before dredging up a smile. “Well, we can always tell them we broke up? I haven’t had a one-night stand in a while so that probably didn’t-”

“ _Cease_ ,” Loki hissed and Tony’s mouth actually snapped shut. He wasn’t sure if it was from magic or just the way Loki had winced and spat out the word. “ _Cease_ , Anthony. Just...” He closed his eyes and briefly pinched his nose. “I am not _unhappy_ with the implication it gives.”

Tony scowled, still feeling vaguely hurt and trying to hide it. “You just told me you were; now you’re telling me you aren’t? How about you just be fucking _clear_ -”

He had barely finished the word and hadn’t even moved onto the next before Loki was grabbing his shirt and yanking him forward, using godly strength until their mouths came together. They bumped a little painfully but Loki’s free hand was automatically against the base of his skull, cradling it and adjusting the angle.

Tony had been slack-mouthed at first but it only took a small twitch, a _wince_ in Loki’s cheek and the start of him drawing back before he was dropping his tablet and bringing a hand to Loki’s neck. He pressed in close and kissed the other back, feeling the minute tension in Loki disappear.

They kissed languidly for a few minutes, Loki’s fingers soft in his hair - but Loki didn’t let it remain that way. Soon he was pushing Tony back, crowding him into the couch and disappearing his glass with magic so that Tony could bring his _other_ hand to slide under Loki’s tunic.

Loki was straddling his hips by the time they broke apart, panting and slightly flushed. Loki was grinning down at him with satisfaction and triumph. The hand that had been in his shirt had moved during the kissing to his neck, but he brought his fingers down Tony’s chest now, walking them until they reached his stomach.

“I have no time for chastity in a courtship, Anthony. What say you?” He moved in close and kissed Tony filthy and talented until he could do nothing but moan. Loki pulled back and continued, stroking his fingers against Tony’s shirt. “Compatibility is a much more important quality, I find.”

Tony felt desire form thick and hot from the contact of Loki’s hand, flooding through the rest of his body and darkening his eyes. “Or you could marry me anyway?” Tony teased, “Get the best of both words and have a hell of a wedding night.” He rocked his hips forward and into Loki’s, making the Mage’s mouth part. “We’ll elope to Vegas. The Space Vikings and their matrimony vows can _suck it_.”

“Oh, I believe there are better ways to ‘ _suck it_ ’ that we can focus on instead,” Loki purred, and when his eyes trailed _down_ Tony could only groan and pull Loki into another kiss. 

When they pulled back, Loki’s lips found his neck and Tony hissed, “God, you need to be naked. _I_ need to be naked and you need to fuck me. _Now_.”

Loki laughed against his skin. “I believe we can achieve all of your wishes.”

Pulling back, Loki didn’t smirk down at him; he _smiled_ , small and thrilled. It made a very emotional and vulnerable part of Tony melt. Loki cupped Tony’s chin and moved in close for an almost gentle press of mouths. When they broke apart, he also _climbed off Tony_. “But I do not wish to sit through a ceremony, my dear. Our vows shall have to wait.” He held out a hand expectantly. “I much prefer a rather _different_ kind of act to share with you now.”

Taking the offered hand, Tony let himself be pulled in close until there was barely a sliver of space between them. He brought up a hand and tangled it in Loki’s hair, staring into those beautiful and desire-filled eyes.

“We’ve been engaged forever,” he said before pulling Loki down and into another kiss, barely caring about what he was spouting beyond finishing the banter and getting to the _main event_ , “let’s see if that ‘waiting makes it better’ thing pays off.”

It was the way that Loki teleported them to Tony’s room directly afterwards and laid him down on the bed, eyeing Tony like the most delectable thing he’d seen in years.

How they came together like the right cables hitting and filling with electricity. When the pleasure was overwhelming and how they both brokenly cried their fulfilment into the other’s skin, laying in each other’s arms and sharing soft kisses in the aftermath.

It was the soft things that made everything seem perfect when they touched - and the laughter when it didn’t go to plan - when Loki ripped both the wrapping and the condom because he wasn’t used to ‘ _these infernal Midgardian things_ ’.

It all made Tony think that waiting had its charms and that knowing the man in his bed _did_ make it better. It made him think that Loki felt the same way, curled around him and sighing contently against his skin.

* * *

**5.**

“You are not doing it. I refuse.”

“ _Loki_.”

“Absolutely not, Anthony,” Loki snapped. “Donate your money if you wish, but you will _not_ be participating.”

Tony let out a huff of breath, agitated and trying not to let the frustration take over and push them towards a full blown argument. Loki was already crossing his arms and tilting his chin in a way that spoke of stubborn resolve and the defensive protection of his feelings. Oh, the latter was masked in anger and spitted fury, and he would push Tony away if he needed -anything to keep any hurt from showing in his eyes or voice.

But they’d been together for over a year now, and he knew his lover. 

While he didn’t know what had sparked the latest heel-digging, he knew that outright fighting Loki's possessive and jealous tendencies would only end in a yelling match.

“Loki, it’s not as bad as you think,” he tried, endeavouring to keep his voice calm. “It’s just a little bit of charity, it means absolutely nothing.”

And, okay, so it wasn’t _exactly_ that simple, but it wasn’t like he was planning to enter a _real_ auction.

It wasn’t even the typical bachelor auction that Loki was probably picturing, since that had already been held earlier - and Tony _wasn’t_ a bachelor anymore and had no interest in being one again.

This was a more relaxed auction where instead of buying a man for a night, you bought a man or a woman for a dance. It allowed people who were in committed relationships to partake by either offering themselves to be purchased (as Tony had intended) or by buying dances for themselves or for other people.

“You are _not_ dancing with them,” Loki growled, unravelling his crossed arms but only to grab Tony and pull him closer; his fingers a tight pressure on Tony’s forearm.

When Tony saw one of the attendants with a clipboard walking nearby, it made it painfully obviously why he’d been grabbed. Loki was eyeing them like they were enemies he needed to be ready to decimate.

“Loki-”

“You will be marrying me and will therefore _not_ be considered ‘unattached’ and allowed to enter this-”

“Being married means fuck all in this auction-”

“I am your partner and I _do not_ consent. I will not have you in the arms of anyone but myself. No woman or _man_ who wishes to touch what is _mine_ will-”

“Careful, Loki, your possessive _bullshit_ is showing.”

Loki gritted his teeth, tense and filled with barely contained violence as he looked away from Tony but refused to let him go. Tony closed his eyes and forced out a few calming breathes, quelling the irritation that wanted to become something harsher in the face of being _told_ what to do and ignored every time he tried to seek or give clarification.

“I am allowed to make requests of my lover,” Loki hissed angrily, but still wouldn’t look at him; he was sending a death glare at one of the attendants who had frozen after heading in their general direction though.

Tony felt anger burn hot in his chest, and while a part of him knew there had to be a reason for Loki’s sudden behaviour, he wasn’t in the mood to hear it. He reached for Loki’s hand and forced him to let go. It _finally_ made Loki look at him, but Tony wasn’t about to catch his gaze. “Yeah and congratulations, you’re allowed to be a total fucking dick about it too. I’m getting a drink.”

Not waiting for a response, Tony stalked off, ignoring anyone who tried to get his attention as he crossed the ballroom to reach the heavily stocked bar to order something stronger than the champagne he’d been having earlier.

He was served quickly and he put his back to the room to sip at it, swirling the alcohol in his mouth and glass unhappily. He was still fuming some minutes later when he was joined by someone. He flicked his eyes to the side, knowing it wasn’t Loki but still not willing to deal with anyone at the moment.

When he saw it was Thor, he opened his mouth to tell him _don’t even try_ , but Thor spoke first, looking at the drinks behind the bar. “On Asgard, it is a great sign of commitment to dance with one’s lover in public.” Tony blinked, his mouth hovering open, the shock having stolen his words. “To dance with another during the courtship, it shows that one is not _truly_ devoted to their current partner.”

He slowly shifted until he could catch Tony’s eyes. “Loki has never danced publically with anyone he has taken as a lover. It is because of this that he has never once cared for their dance partners.” He gave Tony a pointed look. “Until now.”

Tony had to swallow a few times before he could speak, and even then it was just a rough exhale. “ _Oh_.”

“Do not be so hard on him, Anthony.” He pushed away from the bar, finishing with a shrug. “My brother does not always know how to show how much he is in love.”

Tony barely felt the comforting pat to his shoulder before Thor walked away. Tony was too busy reeling from the information dump. _Loki, you inscrutable idiot._

Looking around, he tried to find his lover and when Tony did; his heart _ached_ at seeing the other man. He was pressed against a wall, looking shuttered and wounded. Steve was beside him, seeming worried as he tried to talk to and cheer him up. Loki’s eyes were pensively focused on the ground though, seeming to ignore Steve even if he wasn’t openly pushing the Captain away.

Tony’s eyes darted over his lover’s form before settling on a course of action. He quickly tossed down the last of the drink, swallowing again when he was done, half in nervousness and half in anticipation as he scanned the room before finding the first attendant he could.

He did his best to keep out of sight of Loki after making his detailed request. He then circled the room, cursing when his lover had disappeared from where he’d been standing with Steve.

_Fuck, just my luck._

There was a healthy level of panic going on for the next ten minutes as he tried to find the elusive Demi-God. He’d been about to give up despondently, when he'd felt a tentative hand land on his shoulder. He turned automatically, finding Loki uncertain and openly apologetic.

“Anthony-”

Tony cut him off by stepping close and cupping his cheeks, pulling him into a kiss that Loki sighed and relaxed into, gripping onto the lapel of his tuxedo with one hand while the other went to Tony’s neck.

When they broke apart, Loki leant their foreheads together but didn’t say anything more; they just luxuriated in the end of their argument.

Tony only pulled away when he heard the announcer stand on the podium and begin rattling off names and accepting bids. Tony stood beside his lover, trying not to let his nervousness show. When his own name finally came up, Loki flinched violently but Tony was already reaching out and linking their fingers as the announcer continued, “Pre-purchased for five thousand.”

Loki frowned. He seemed unaware of the disappointed noises of various men and women as he turned to Tony; a question on his lips and uncertainty rife in his eyes. Tony pulled the ticket out of his pocket and held it between them. “It’s only on offer for you,” Tony told him softly. “If you want to dance with me, you’ve got it. You just have to ask and I will. And if you don’t want to, I still won’t dance with anyone else.”

Loki swallowed thickly. “Thor spoke to you.”

“He told me what it means.”

Loki reached forward and lightly took the ticket, staring at it. “And you still offer to dance with me?”

“You offered first,” Tony pointed out, making Loki look back up at him again. “I didn’t get it then, now I do.” He smiled and stepped closer. “So will you dance with me?”

Loki let out a soft huff of laughter, but pulled him closer. He didn’t answer verbally but he _did_ lead Tony out onto the dance floor. He wrapped one arm around Tony’s waist, positioning them both in a way that was similar to a waltz but just odd enough to make Tony know it was innately Asgardian.

Loki led him slowly at first, getting him used to the movements that were slightly different to what Tony was familiar with, but it didn’t take long for Tony to get the hang of it. When he did, they picked up speed, finding a steady rhythm where Tony could shift his attention to Loki rather than his footwork.

He was... well, _glowing_. Loki’s happiness seemed bright enough to touch. His smile was small and soft, but his pleasure was leaking freely from his eyes. Tony could also feel it in the soft and possessive touches against his skin, and he smiled up at his lover.

“I love you,” Tony told him, making Loki’s steps falter slightly in surprise.

It wasn’t the first time they’d said it, but it was still rare enough to be unexpected when they admitted it.

“I love you too,” Loki replied before ducking forward to kiss Tony chastely but no less tenderly. They also moved a little closer, changing their hold and their steps as Tony’s arm wrapped around Loki’s neck.

They didn’t say anything more for the rest of the piece, just losing themselves in the gentle motions of spinning, rocking and gliding their way across the dance floor. It was an intimacy that seemed even deeper and far more vulnerable than sex, and it made every scrap of feeling he felt for Loki bubble to the surface and feel like it was consuming him.

When they music ended and they finally stopped, Tony only had eyes for the man in front of him. They came naturally into a soft kiss that made Tony’s whole body tingle.

He stroked Loki’s cheek when they moved apart, understanding all at once why dancing was so important on Asgard. He couldn’t imagine sharing what he’d just done with anyone else but Loki, and the look in his lover’s eyes said he felt the same.

“I’m always your partner for a dance,” Tony told him softly, assuring his lover and promising all in one gesture.

“Good,” Loki answered, before pulling him back onto the floor and into the next piece of music.

Tony didn’t have the slightest complaint.

He was more than happy to keep dancing with Loki for the rest of his life.

* * *

**+1.**

They'd gone dancing a few more times since Tony had discovered what it meant to Loki. He still preferred the private ones best, the swaying that was done late at night in the penthouse and with soft strands of classical music playing overhead. But Tony still liked the inclusion of any of it, whichever one Loki was feeling like doing at any given time.

His lover, however, had been acting suspiciously for the last few weeks and had been avoided dancing all together.

He’d been nervous, jumpy almost, and had kept dashing off to run errands in space - dragging _Thor_ with him of all people.

Tony had shot him distrustful glares and tried to pry information out of him, but Loki was being purposefully obtuse. He had admitted that he wanted to take Tony somewhere and show him something though.

That in itself wasn’t odd. Loki had taken him into space a few times to introduce him to different things and worlds. Tony had done it on Earth too. They were just dates and weekends away; completely normal.

The last time he’d seen Loki this unsure of himself was when he’d designed a way to add magic to Tony’s armour for protection and defence. He hadn’t known how Tony would take the ‘ _interference to his designs_ ’ but the _very extensive_ ravishing he’d received had more than shown Loki how receptive Tony was to cool magic gifts and subtly caring gestures.

But while it had been driving Tony mental not knowing, he’d let it be. But Loki _finally_ seemed ready to crack the cone of secrecy and silence. He had woken Tony with soft kisses and the request that he pack a bag and come into space with him.

Tony hadn’t been about to disagree and so they’d left for Alfheim. They’d spent a day there, seeing the sights and with Tony being shown any of Loki’s favourite places that he hadn’t already been aware of. Loki had even taken him to meet a famous armourer and he’d geeked out there for a few hours.

They’d left the elven planet the next day and had gone to Vanaheim where a celebration of some kind was happening. Something about the moons and the stars, Tony hadn’t cared too much when it meant a bunch of stalls had cropped up. He was able to bury his nose in all kinds of inventions, strange foods and cool souvenirs of this ‘ _once a century_ ’ gathering. 

He’d been running around and dragging Loki all over the planet with him, so that by the end of the day he was slightly exhausted - but Loki wasn’t done with him. He’d taken him to a quieter part of the town to have dinner at what he assumed was a fancy Vanaheim restaurant.

They'd talked and Tony had tried to pry what exactly was being celebrated out of him. Loki had admitted it was to do with the close rotation of the moons and was more a cause to get drunk than anything else. Tony had laughed and kissed Loki sweetly, enjoying being included in something that very few mortals probably ever saw.

Loki had smiled oddly and when they’d gone back to their rooms on Alfheim Loki had been... _soft_ that night. Their lovemaking was just that, _love_ making. It was tender and beautiful with Loki kissing his fingertips and palms and spending an hour just touching and readying him.

It was just so _loving_ that Tony had tried to bury his face into a pillow during his climax, but Loki had stopped him and stolen kisses instead. He’d been confused, but hadn’t even tried to ask, he’d just curled into Loki.

If their affection wasn’t _painfully obvious_ on both sides, he would have been worried Loki was planning to break up with him. There was something building though, he didn’t know what the fuck it was, but he was cautiously letting Loki continue with it.

The next day they were back on Vanaheim and Loki was even more wound up than usual. It sucked some of the fun out of Tony’s exploring as he was always reaching back and touching Loki, trying to figure out what was going on inside his head.

Loki would always relax and smile when Tony was focused on him, but if he left him too long; he’d tie himself back up again. The more the day passed, the tenser he became until it was late afternoon and Loki had pulled him aside and away from the crowds. He had a thin, green piece of silk in his hands.

“I would like your trust, Anthony-”

“Which you have,” Tony interrupted, gaining a painfully soft smile.

Loki raised the material. “I need to put this over your eyes and then I will teleport you somewhere. I promise you will be safe.”

Tony bit his lip slightly, eyeing the fabric dubiously and remembering how well he did _not_ take to that kind of magic. “If I throw up from the teleport...”

Loki let out a half laugh before cutting himself off, too anxious to sound like his normal self. He licked his lips. “You will be fine.” 

He brought up the fabric, and when he received no hesitation, he tied it over Tony’s eyes. Tony felt a stroke to his cheek before Loki bent forward and kissed him softly. He then guided Tony forward until their chests were touching. Loki wrapped his arms around Tony and he followed suit until they were hugging.

Burying his face in Loki’s chest, he breathed in the familiar smell and was comforted as the magic picked up around them and the lurch of teleporting made him grit his teeth. He stayed where he was even after they’d reappeared, feeling Loki’s fingers running through his hair in comfort. 

When he felt a little less likely to get nauseated, he stepped away. Loki’s hands were still connected to him, a grounding, leading touch as Loki had him turn and take a few steps forward.

The area, wherever they were, was silent in comparison to the bustle and talk of Vanaheim. He could hear wind in distant trees and could feel the roughness of earth beneath his feet. “Are we still on Vanaheim?”

“Yes,” Loki answered before stopping their movements. “I will take the blindfold off, but keep your eyes closed, Anthony.”

Tony sighed dramatically, tilting his head towards his lover’s voice. “You could have just asked me to close my eyes.”

Loki snorted, but the slight tremble to his fingers on the silk belied the confident tone of his voice. “I know you too well. The teleportation would have made you react instinctively.”

Well, that was true.

He still kept his eyes shut as the fabric fell away. It was only a few moments after it had cleared his eyes that Loki’s hands were taking its place. Tony’s eyebrows rose, the motion more than noticeable against Loki’s palms. “Okay, I’m going past curiosity here. What the hell are you hiding from me?”

Loki moved so he was directly behind Tony, their bodies brushing.

“Once a century,” he started quietly, “Vanaheim is given a great gift. I wanted to give it to you.”

He pulled his hands away and Tony blinked open his eyes only to freeze. His breath punching out of him in a gasp as the view took all thought from his mind and rendered him speechless.

Displayed before him like an artist’s rendition of space was a blanket of stars, of _nebula_ as a moon almost brushed the planet it was so close.

It was the most stunning and magnificent thing he had ever seen.

Tony looked at it for minutes on end, trying to take in every detail and failing. He was constantly rendered slack with awe at what was being revealed and given to him.

“ _Loki_ ,” he shakily managed to get out. He didn’t even know how long he’d been standing there.

Loki’s voice came then, as if he’d been waiting for a cue to speak, his words almost rushed out - rehearsed but no less honest and powerful. “This is what I want to give you. This is what I _will_ give you, Anthony. The life that I have and the ability to see the entire universe during your lifetime." 

Hands that had been on Tony’s hips rose until they were directly in front of Tony’s eyes, forcing him to look away from the cosmos before him. A small spot of magic was bubbling like its own nebula before bursting open like an exploding star. In its place rested a thick banded ring that made Tony’s lips part. The item looked as if it _held_ part of the universe inside it, resting snugly at its core.

“This is what I will promise you,” Loki whispered. “Immortality and a life by my side. The universe not only at your fingers, Anthony, but _on_ them." He could hear the nervous swallow. “Will you accept?”

Tony’s mouth opened and closed, he swallowed as well, trying to formulate words when he felt completely shut off, _shut down_ at the declaration and the _proposal_. His own hands were shaking as he brought them forward and took the ring. He stared at it, mesmerised before he turned in Loki’s arms to stare at the Demi-God.

Loki was tense and worried, scanning his face for an answer.

Tony gripped the ring in one hand while the other cupped the back of Loki’s neck as he pressed onto his toes so that he could _kiss the hell_ out of Loki.

His lover, his _fiancé_ , kissed him back, nails digging into his skin as they kissed under the stars, beneath a _galaxy_. 

When they broke apart, Tony told him, “Yes. God, _yes_.”

He kissed Loki again, couldn’t stop himself and Loki’s smile broke out against his mouth as they soon started laughing into each other’s touch.

Loki’s anxiety had disappeared to be replaced by elation and he pulled up Tony’s hand so that he could take the ring and slip it onto Tony’s finger. He then held Tony’s hand up, staring at the band with a possessive and wondering pleasure.

“Do you get one?” Tony asked, hopeful and desperate to see a matching ring.

Loki almost looked shy as he reached under his shirt, pulling out a near identical one that hung from a chain against his chest. “I hadn’t been sure... but I wanted...” he glanced away even while pulling at the chain until it snapped and he could slide the ring off. “They were both here,” his free hand touched his breast, _his heart_ , before he continued, “as I waited to know what you would say.”

Tony grabbed it from Loki as soon as it was offered, sliding it onto his _fiancé’s_ finger and marvelling at the dark band against Loki’s pale skin.

“I’ve been saying yes since the start,” Tony told him, looking up at Loki’s shining eyes. He brought the hand wearing his band, his _promise_ , up to cup Loki’s cheek. It made Loki’s eyes flutter closed. “I was _never_ going to say no.”

“But it was never real before,” Loki reminded him, his eyes sliding back open.

Encouraging Loki’s own hand to touch his in a matching gesture, he grinned at the feel of the ring against his cheek, cooler than skin and a reminder that would _never_ leave their hands.

“Maybe,” Tony allowed, “Or maybe we were just right from the start.”

Loki shook his head, smiling in a way that let Tony know that Loki thought he was completely ridiculous.

He didn’t even care. He was underneath a galaxy getting a proposal that made his heart want to burst open it was so happy. He was with the guy he loved and Loki had picked him - _him_ \- out of everyone in the universe and throughout his many years of life, Loki had chosen _Tony_.

_Oh God, I can feel the tears coming._

Tony quickly buried his head in Loki’s neck to hide it, hugging him close and squeezing tightly. Loki pressed a kiss to his head in response, a small chuckle letting Tony know that Loki was aware of _exactly_ why he was concealing his face. The asshole.

Loki didn’t comment on it though and Tony eventually poked his head out from hiding. Loki was smiling at him like he’d just won the lottery or been given a _throne_. Like all his wishes had come true and solely because he had Tony in his arms.

He had to kiss Loki for that, and they stayed there for a long time just gently embracing.

When they broke apart it was only to relocate to the ground and onto a blanket Loki had conjured for them. They stayed there for hours; holding each other close, kissing, and staring at one another while talking, or even just silently looking up at the stars.

It was the happiest Tony could ever recall being in his life. He was calm, _peaceful_. His life was still and entirely focused on the moment and the man beside him, and Loki looked the exact same way. It was as if all the monsters and demons in their heads had faded away and left them alone, left them to enjoy something without any regrets, guilt or worry.

They were happy and Tony couldn’t help reaching out and touching Loki’s cheek.

“I want to see the universe with you.”

Loki’s lips had tipped up at the corners. “Then you will.”

It was as simple as that, as _guaranteed_ as that - and in the face of his future and the adventures that were to come, Tony couldn't help but grin.

**Author's Note:**

> Well? What did we think? I personally always laugh at the idea of Loki ripping a condom by accident. I also have all these _Aesir dancing headcanons now_. What have I done to myself?? Lol.
> 
> Ah well. It was a lovely thing to write. I hope you all enjoyed it! I would love to know what you think :3


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